Submitted by admin on Mon, 2006-11-27 08:00. ::
he Lions are out of the playoffs, but not off the firing line. They are squarely in the crosshairs of every blogger, columnist, reporter, talk-show host and general Lions-hater, whose ranks are growing by the day.
Lions president Matt Millen is taking most of the heat, and he might take the biggest fall. The losses continue, with no sign of a breakthrough, as Millen nears the end of his sixth season as franchise president. The Lions are 2-9 this season and 23-68 in Millen's tenure.
A new rumor or report surfaces almost daily concerning Millen's future with the Lions. If owner William Clay Ford decides to make a change after the season, nobody could argue against it. There is no logical way to defend the record.
Speculating on what Ford will do after the season must be prefaced by stating the reality that it is just that -- speculation. There are no insiders with Ford. Until Ford acts, no one can say for certain what course he will take.
There is a perception among many that a post-Millen era would be like the discovery of penicillin -- a cure-all for the franchise. There is no miracle cure. If the solution were as simple as eliminating or replacing one person, the Lions wouldn't be 23-68 under Millen or anyone else. They would have won more games by accident.
"I've never been in this position before," Lions tight end Dan Campbell said after the loss to Miami on Thanksgiving Day. "You've got to change attitudes around here.
Millen's status is only one issue facing Ford and his franchise. Personnel decisions, the makeup of the roster, coach Rod Marinelli and his staff, and the overall losing attitude that suffocates the franchise must be addressed.
If I were Millen, I'd leave at the end of the season. There is too much criticism, and the environment in the community is too toxic. It cannot be fun or personally rewarding to work under those conditions.
Having said that, I'd be surprised if Millen quits. It is not in his nature to give up or have anyone run him out of his job. Millen is an intense, competitive man who never would think quitting is the best option.
Ford and Millen have a strong relationship. Ford attends practice regularly and talks with Millen frequently. Millen has said often how much it would mean personally to produce a winner for Ford.
Millen also has said he believes Rod Marinelli is the right coach for the Lions, and the discipline and intensity he preaches is what the franchise needs.
Millen and Ford have a lengthy state-of-the-franchise meeting after every season. Their meeting after this season will be pivotal in determining what happens going forward.
If there is any hesitance on either side for Millen to stay, then it will be time to part company. Otherwise, it will be like trying to rekindle the romance on a bad marriage.
If Millen were to leave, logic dictates that Ford go outside the organization for a new man to head the football operation. It does not make sense that anyone from the management team of a franchise that has won 23 games in six years could qualify as a rising star to head a football operation.
Tom Heckert, the Eagles' general manager, has been touted as a possible candidate. Heckert is from Adrian and played and coached at Hillsdale College.
It is time for the owner to speak. When the media has access to Ford, which has been increasingly infrequent in the past few years, he is direct in expressing his feelings.
Ford's last public comments were in a brief interview in August, before the team's public scrimmage at Ford Field. Ford reaffirmed his support of Millen and spoke highly of Marinelli, but with the qualifier that there never is any certainty on how things will work out.
If Ford wants Millen to remain as president after this year, he should make it known. The critics will howl, but it will remove a major element of uncertainty hovering over the franchise.
If Millen is replaced, the new man likely would want his own head coach. Marinelli would be perceived as a lame duck the minute a new boss walked through the door.
Marinelli has done some good things that haven't shown up in the won-lost record. There is a level of accountability among players. And despite the record, the team was competitive until the last two weeks, when obvious shortcomings surfaced in losses to Arizona and Miami.
When the Dolphins were in town, a team official talked about Harrington's attitude. Players such as Jason Taylor, Kevin Carter and Zach Thomas -- real team leaders -- are upbeat by nature, and Harrington fits in with them, the official said.
"You need somebody who's going to put up with all the crap," Harrington said. "I absolutely believe he's the right man for the job. You need to weed out the guys who aren't going to buy into your program.
No matter who is in charge, or who coaches, there must be a thorough review of how the Lions acquire players, both from the college draft and signing free agents. There are too many dead spots in the roster.
Big money has been spent on free agents, but few have come through as expected. The Lions got two Pro Bowl seasons out of cornerback Dre Bly, signed in 2003. That is an exception.
Guard Damien Woody arrived in 2004 with Pro Bowl credentials and two Super Bowl rings from his tenure with New England. His performance as a Lion has been average, and weight issues have reduced his effectiveness.
The offensive line was targeted for upgrading in free agency this year, but there has been no improvement. Jon Kitna has been sacked 41 times -- including eight times by Miami -- or almost once out of every 10 times he has dropped back.
A constant shuffle of wide receivers has been tragically comical. Some blame for that goes to offensive coordinator Mike Martz, who seems to think anyone can run patterns in his offense.
The Lions made a huge miscalculation when they wooed defensive end Kalimba Edwards away from Cleveland and re-signed him to a five-year contract with a signing bonus of $8 million.
Marinelli saw potential in Edwards to be a big-play pass-rusher. In fact, Edwards makes the same outside rush on nearly every play, with no counter move, and has only one sack.
Frankly, the Lions have gotten as much value out of punter Nick Harris -- signed in midseason of 2003 when John Jett sustained a career-ending leg injury -- as they have of most free agents whom they had months to scout.
Whatever Ford decides, whatever course he takes, he would do well to come out of character and speak publicly about the franchise he has owned since 1964.
This is cache, read story here
